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March 2018 Time to carve: 1 hour Finishing: .5 hour Boy's Life -November 1980, page 66 Design: Not named Interesting fact there is a difference between a checkers or draughts around the world. In America we play checkers on a 8 x 8 square board with 12 pieces per side.
When he was being recruited to play college basketball, Jacob Davison met with an assistant coach from Eastern Washington. Davison and Shantay Legans — who has since been elevated to head coach at EWU — discussed the usual topics: basketball, academics, leadership.
Congratulations to Robert Johnson, who will serve as Scout executive of the Flint River Council in Griffin, Georgia effective March 1, 2019. Robert began his Scouting career as district executive at the Black Warrior Council in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He was promoted to program director and later field director with the council.
As the Scouts BSA program continues to roll along, our published materials are getting caught up with the changes. After the Guide to Safe Scouting updates released earlier, there is a new Guide to Advancement for 2019. Typically updated every two years, the current edition mainly edits content to reflect the addition of female youth…
What’s in a name? For Scouts BSA patrols, a name unites new and old friends. What’s more, it gives Scouts a chance to express their originality. And with new troops come new patrol names! The young minds in Scouts BSA have put their heads together to come up with the some of the most creative…
Hello and Welcome Back! Scouter Training is closer to employee training than active Scouting. Sitting through scripted sessions punctuated by unrealistic, often dated, videos is one way to learn, but it’s not the best way to learn Scouting. I’ve never been a good classroom student, I learn more by doing, so I tend to value…
Scoutmaster John notices three Tenderfoot Scouts Liam, Ethan and Aiden across the room huddled around Assistant Scoutmaster Mark at a recent troop meeting, each with a rope in hand. They’re working on Second Class requirement 2g. , tying a bowline and describing when to use it.
It’s one thing to tell your friends about your latest Scouting adventure. It’s another to show them using crisp, insanely smooth 4K video. Capture and share your latest Scouting adventure in a 30- to 60-second video to enter the GoPro BSA Adventure Ambassador Contest .
________________________________________ Hi Andy, One of the requirements for the rank of Scout states that one must “Explain the patrol method” (req. 3a). Yet Scouts BSA can’t seem to say what The Patrol Method is in any accurate or coherent way (I checked the Scout Handbook before writing to you).
The Arrow of Light marks a major milestone in a Cub Scout’s growth. The senior patrol leader badge represents the most important position in a troop. And the Eagle Scout award symbolizes an incredible journey of perseverance. But when considering the array of Scouting awards and recognitions available to young people, there’s one that stands…
We’re wrapping up of one of the most fun seasons in the Scouting calendar – Pinewood Derby season! For those who came up through Cub Scouts or who are involved in our program today, you know the excitement of building, decorating and racing those cars.
With his helicopter blades spinning less than 10 feet from a vertical rock wall, Lt. Matthew Schwab’s margin for error was dangerously small. For his most daring mission, the search and rescue pilot had quickly and safely transported his team from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash., to a jagged rock chute on Mount Stuart…
Looking for ideas for awesome DIY Pinewood Derby awards? Check out these that are made from old car parts! Learn how one Cubmaster created these.
Looking for first-rate representation in Washington? The BSA has you covered. A group of 12 of the country’s finest young people have been selected to deliver the 2018 Report to the Nation. The delegates, who represent all BSA regions and programs, will meet with elected and appointed officials in Washington, D.C., to share the Scouting…
A Sea Scout tells how a Philmont trek gave her the confidence to overcome the emotional scars of bullying. An Eagle Scout recounts the time he saved nine people’s lives by alerting residents to a fire in their apartment. A Webelos shares how a Tiger Scout meeting activity inspired him to start Tiger Mushroom Farms…
Second-year midshipman and Eagle Scout Thomas Dias (left) talks with 1998 U.S. Naval Academy graduate and Eagle Scout Jeff Messer (right). The two midshipmen stood tall in their crisp blue uniforms. It was a cloudy Sunday morning at the U.S.
The Boy Scouts of America and the National Park Service have been connecting families to the outdoors for generations. It’s kind of their thing. In recognition of that mutually beneficial friendship, the BSA’s Report to the Nation delegates presented the Hornaday Gold Certificate to the National Park Service on Sunday night at the Department of…
Hello and Welcome Back! Scouting is camping with your patrol, and one of my favorite ways to go camping is backpacking. Reducing everything you will need to live for a couple of days to what you can comfortably carry on your back is a test of skill, and planning ; it challenges our moral, physical and…
Please join us in congratulating Lynn Gunter, who will serve as Scout executive of the Ore-Ida Council in Boise, Idaho, effective March 16, 2019. Lynn began his Scouting career as district executive at the Grand Teton Council in Idaho Falls, Idaho.
James Havey discovered his passion for helping the downtrodden and underprivileged after a trip to Mexico in middle school. He went on a trip with a Christian ministry to volunteer in orphanages around Monterrey, Mexico. “It was on this first trip down to Monterrey that I saw what poverty can do to a family, and…
Finally, a viral challenge Scouts can fully endorse. It’s called the Trashtag Challenge , and it’s inspiring people on social media to pick up trash and share that good deed on Twitter or Instagram . The concept of picking up trash, even if it’s not yours, should seem familiar.
________________________________________ Seven years and 266 issues ago I wrote a piece called “EAGLE—IT’S A NO-BRAINER!” A lot has happened since then, and a bunch of readers have asked me for an update. So here it is… This is for all Scouts BSA troop members but especially for the girls who joined beginning February 1st this year.
With its 19 stainless steel statues honoring those who served, the Korean War Veterans Memorial is a place of reverential respite from the noise of Washington. On Tuesday afternoon, that silence temporarily was replaced by the sounds of gravel being scooped and brooms sweeping polished granite.
Check out these 15 Cub Scout Blue and Gold centerpieces for your next banquet. From simple to elaborate, you'll find the perfect one for your pack's event!
Story contributed by Mark Griffin, Great Salt Lake Council Scout Executive Last fall the Great Salt Lake Council enthusiastically participated in the ‘Scout Me In’ Influencer Campaign. We were very fortunate to have the leadership of Bruce Hough, the immediate past president of our council and the father of Julianne and Derek Hough , in our…
As young people continue to join Scouts BSA from coast to coast, national outlets like CBS News and The New York Times have taken note. Both major media sources recently spoke with girls who have joined the iconic Scouting program about what it means to them to be able to participate in the adventures and…
Congratulations to Jim Westfall, who will serve as Scout executive of the Crater Lake Council in Central Point, Oregon, effective March 16, 2019. Jim began his Scouting career as an exploring executive at the Des Plaines Valley Council in LaGrange, Illinois.
Reps. Sanford Bishop of Georgia (blue shirt) and Glenn Thompson of Pennsylvania pose with the Report to the Nation delegates. Both congressmen are members of the Congressional Scouting Caucus. Politicians may not align on every issue, but here’s one topic about which there’s near-unanimous agreement: Scouting helps prepare young men and young women for life.
Using event geofencing through Facebook to support recruitment showed exciting results in the last Cub Scout recruitment season. On average, geofenced units recruited +7.43% more new Cub Scouts than they did the previous year. Whereas non-fenced units within those same councils were down an average of -9.12% in new Cub Scouts recruited.
March 2019 Time to make: 4 hours Finishing: 2 hours Thingiverse Design:Zastro Try it yourself The Dragon 2 space capsule is designed and built by Space X (owned by Elon Musk). It carries a possible crew of seven and originally was planned for a vertical "propulsive landing".
A couple weeks ago, I was at a quarterly Court of Honor for one of the Scouts BSA troops in the area. I had been invited to give a Friends of Scouting presentation to the troop families. As was customary with the troop, the master of ceremonies asked each patrol’s Scouts to introduce themselves by…
On a Sea Scout ship, like in a Scouts BSA troop or Venturing crew, the young people — not the adults — are in charge. The same is true of Sea Scouting on a national level. Sea Scouts, the Boy Scouts of America’s program for all things on, in or under the water, is led by a…
________________________________________ Hi Andy, About your recent viewpoints on learning and applying The Patrol Method, I could swear that one of the purposes of IOLS (Introduction to Outdoor Living Skills) is to do exactly this! In fact, that’s what the introduction to this training component—required for all Scoutmasters and assistants—says, and here’s the quote: “Specifically, this hands-on…
Tyler Henry wanted to help Memorial United Methodist Church in Summit Point, W.Va., where his grandmother had attended and where Troop 421 met. As a tribute to his grandmother and a thank-you on behalf of his troop, Tyler decided to take on multiple challenging tasks for his Eagle Scout project: replacing the church’s speakers, upgrading…
A Scout’s daily Good Turn can take on any form. The boys in Troop 339 of Ridley Township, Pa., were looking for a way to warmly welcome the members of their linked troop: a new Scouts BSA troop for girls that shares their troop number, meeting place, chartered organization and committee but meets and camps…
Sponsored post courtesy of National Geographic Calling all unit leaders – this one’s for you! National Geographic is inviting unit leaders to get their Scouts excited about exploration and reading by signing up to be an Explorer Academy Leader. Unit leaders are invited to enter the National Geographic Explorer Academy contest where they can be selected…
This summer, get a taste of the worldwide fellowship of Scouting without even leaving the country. Day passes for the 2019 World Scout Jamboree are now available , giving everyone a chance to experience this summer’s global gathering of Scouts. If your summer plans don’t involve attending the World Scout Jamboree or serving on staff (known…
One of the tenants of Scouting is a reverence to God and a respect for all religions. And for Scouting families who want to go the extra mile, the Cub Scout Religious Emblems program is there. Read on to learn how your Scout can earn emblems in your faith of choice!
Please join us as we congratulate Rich McCartney, who will serve as Scout executive of the Northern Lights Council in Fargo, North Dakota, effective April 1, 2019. Rich began his Scouting career as district executive at the Genesee Council in Batavia, New York.
Where can Scouting take young people? The sky’s the limit. Samuel Ferguson, an Eagle Scout from West Windsor, N.J., received an $80,000 prize for finishing in sixth place in the Regeneron Science Talent Search. He says he’ll put every penny of the money toward paying for college; the 18-year-old plans to attend MIT.
Mid-Iowa Council Scout Executive Matt Hill shows off the uniform. Here’s my Scouting report on the Iowa Cubs: They’re looking pretty good this season. The Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs has unveiled the special Scouting-themed jersey the team will wear on Scout Day this season.
Please join us as we congratulate Jacob Andrew “Drew” Armstrong, who will serve as Scout executive of the Old Hickory Council in Winston-Salem, North Carolina effective April 15, 2019. Drew began his Scouting career as a district executive at the Old Hickory Council.
________________________________________ We have a winner! Last Tuesday I published Issue 591 at 12:15 in the afternoon. Eight minutes later, the first to respond in the fastest reader response time ever was long-time reader, Scouter, and friend Matt Culbertson of Carlisle, PA.
Eagle Scout Eric Meek creates incredible glass artwork as part of his job at the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, N.Y. His time with Troop 77 in Defiance, Ohio, instilled the leadership and interpersonal skills he uses for work every day, but it also equipped him with the survival skills he needed to stay…
The Boy Scouts of America aims to instill lifelong values from the Scout Oath and Law into young people. While the organization often focuses on the impact of unit leaders, council volunteers, and BSA professionals, members of the educator community sometimes fulfill this mission.
We may only be three months in, but 2019 has already been a momentous year for the BSA! As March comes to a close and we wrap up Women’s History Month, see what these female leaders around the BSA have to say about women in the Scouting movement.
Duck factories, fowl poles or giant Twinkies on a stick. Call these mallard duck nesting tubes whatever you’d like; I’ll call them “one Eagle Scout candidate’s big idea for conservation.” For his Eagle Scout service project, Tapp Rhoads of Troop 997 in Ashburn, Va., part of the National Capital Area Council, led a group of…
Are you just waking up from your winter hibernation? Did you put off finding a summer job for too long? With all your leadership qualities, outdoors skills, and interpersonal communications learned in Scouting, many opportunities are out there for you to work in exciting, adventurous settings.
Troop 1 of Pawhuska, Okla., posed for a photo in 1909. The troop was formed eight months before the founding of the Boy Scouts of America. (Photo from the January-February 1991 issue of Scouting magazine.) There were Boy Scout troops in America before there was the Boy Scouts of America.
It all started with open minds and empty stomachs. A troop in Illinois, fed up with soggy pancakes for breakfast and boring hot dogs for dinner, launched a cooking competition that has improved the Scouts’ culinary skills and promoted healthier eating on campouts.
For this group of Scouts in the Boy Scouts of America Del-Mar-Va Council , experiencing their first crossover ceremony represented something more than a simple transition from Cub Scouts into Scouts BSA. It was a chance to continue a journey that, for some of them, had started in another country.
Please join us as we congratulate John H. Mosby, who will serve as Assistant Chief Scout Executive – Development, effective April 15, 2019. John will bring proven leadership experience to support our staff and volunteer leadership in taking our development efforts to the next level.
New Merit Badge for Boy Scouts
